1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to headsets for bicycles having external forks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, bicycles had internal forks in which the steering tube of the forks extended through bearings inserted into the head tube of the bicycle frame. This arrangement has several disadvantages:
1. The relatively large diameter of the steering tube mandated headset bearings with unduly large inside diameters. The use of adequate sealed radial ball bearings, which would have had much smaller inside diameters, was precluded by the size of the steering tube of the forks. (A radial ball bearing having an inside diameter of about 1/2 inch has adequate carrying capacity for a headset bearing . . . steering tubes have usually been 1" in diameter).
2. In the past, installation, adjustment, and removal of headset bearings, forks, and stems has been unduly complicated. There were too many close-fitting components.